The Cleveland Browns walked into the 2026 NFL Draft intending to improve their offense. And ESPN analyst Tony Grossi is delighted that they picked quarterback Taylen Green, despite his earlier objection.

“This guy's got traits,” Grossi told radio host Tony Rizzo. “Athletic ability. I'd rather have him than Nussmeier, Ty Simpson, and Carson Beck...I was against drafting a quarterback, but I'm okay with this guy.”

The Browns drafted Green with the 182nd overall pick in the sixth round. This makes him their third QB pick in two years. 

Pre-draft reports suggested that Alabama's Ty Simpson or Beck could be the Browns' sixth overall pick, which they eventually ended up trading to the Chiefs.

After losing the 27-21 NCAA Championship game to the Indiana Hoosiers, Beck reportedly skipped the handshake with his counterpart and the No. 1 pick, Fernando Mendoza.

That led to fans booing Beck at the NFL Scouting Combine.

"Every time the quarterback appeared on the stadium's large video screens or stepped up to the line for a rep, the boos grew louder," Writer Matt De Lima of College Football HQ reported in March.

Beck entered the NFL draft with 11,725 passing yards and 88 passing touchdowns, but he did not tick the boxes Green did. 

The 23-year-old from the Arkansas Razorbacks is a dual-threat QB. And his NFL Combine performance left spectators stunned. 

In his report, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN highlighted that Green ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash. That is the fastest by a quarterback since 2003. He also surpassed Anthony Richardson’s records with a 43.5-inch vertical and 11’2” broad jump. 

Moreover, in his two seasons at Arkansas, Green amassed 7,247 total yards, the second most in the SEC since 2024 and just behind Diego Pavia. 

With his incomparable athleticism and ability to ace both parts of the offense, the Browns went with Green. And he has certainly won over Grossi, who, like the Browns, is guessing how to utilize his talents optimally.

What Is Taylen Green’s Standing On The Depth Chart?

The Browns have been transparent with their lack of a game plan involving Green.

And Grossi believes that the Browns would have to remain patient with Green to bring out the best in him.

“Because right away, people are like, oh, let's throw him at tight end. It may take three years of Monken in to get anything out of this guy,” Grossi added.

Both head coach Todd Monken and general manager Andrew Berry have admitted that Green’s prowess is integral to the Browns' quarterback competition. 

“Having an athletic quarterback can be critical to having success,” Monken told reporters on 25 April. 

And Berry followed up with similar comments. 

"With Taylen specifically -- very mature young man, really strong makeup, and he has rare physical gifts,” said Berry. “He's going to need some polish with this game, but he has the work ethic and he has the acumen to do so.”

Now, the Browns have a packed QB room. As per The Athletic, Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson led with first-team snaps, while Dillon Gabriel did not receive any. Now with Green in the picture, he is set to be QB4.

So, if Grossi is to be believed, the Browns are on the right path to improve their offense. What do you think? Tell us in the comments. 

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore